Results

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 30 Wichita State weathered off a late Missouri comeback to win 4-3, Friday, at the Mizzou Tennis Complex. The Shockers improve to 9-3 on the season with the win.
 
HEAD COACH COLIN FOSTER
"Marta's missed a few chances to close some matches out. For her and Fatima to save a match point in doubles and for her to save three match points in singles...All I can say is 'WOW'. This is a tough place to play and Mizzou is getting better and better every year. This was a battle, on the courts we lost we were giving ourselves chances to win and we fought to the last ball on each and every court and as a coach that's all you can ask for."
 
DOUBLES
WSU clinched the doubles point with wins in the first and second flights. The Shockers mixed up the lineups, with the unbeaten duo of Giulia Guidetti and Ting-Ya Hsu moving up a spot to the second flight. Sophomores Fatima Bizhukova and Marta Bellucco paired up in the first flight for the third time this season, and Sandra Honigova and Gabriela teamed up for just the second time. Mizzou took the lead early, where the undefeated duo of Mackenz Middlebrooks and Ellie Wright took down Honigova and Porubin (6-3). Guidetti and Hsu extended their record to 6-0, with a win over Taylor Gruber and Amina Ismail (6-4). Serena Nash and Clare Raley seen a 5-4 lead disappear as Bizhukova and Bellucco stormed back to win three-straight points and clinch the point for the Shockers (7-5).
 
SINGLES
Honigova returned to the win column, to put the Shockers up 2-0 early. The junior who ranks No. 106, won handily in straight sets over Oliveira, (6-1, 6-1) to improve to 9-1 on the season. Bizhukova earned her sixth victory of the season in the first flight, defeating Serena Nash to push the lead to 3-0. After winning the first set, the sophomore who ranks No. 71, rallied back from down 4-2 to win the set and game (6-3, 6-4).
 
Mizzou cut the Shocker lead to two with a victory by Ellie Wright in the third flight. Wright took the first set from Guidetti (6-4). In the second set, Guidetti rallied to push a tiebreaker after trailing 5-3. Wright won in the tibreaker (7-5) to give Mizzou the game.  Porubin took on Middlebrooks, who came into the match with an 8-0 record, in the fourth flight. After losing the first set (6-3), Porubin battled back to win the second (6-3) and force a third set. Middlebrooks prevailed in a back-and-forth third set, (6-4) to push the Shocker lead to 3-2.
 
The No. 49-ranked Tigers scratched and clawed in the final two matches against the Shockers. Newcomer Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva got the nod in the sixth flight for the Shockers. Saidhujaeva and Ismail traded sets, (6-3, 3-6) to force a deciding third set. Trailing 3-0, Ismail battled back for the Tigers to win the set and the game (6-4) to leave it for the fifth flight with Bellucco and Raley.
 
For the second straight match, the lights were shining bright for Bellucco as she was in the determining match tied at three. The sophomore, after being on the losing side last week against Nebraska, lost a nailbiter first set to Clare Raley in the fifth flight (7-6(6)), before rallying back to take the second set (6-2) and force a third set. In a match with the Tigers that lasted right at six hours, the sophomore from Italy came through clutch, winning the third set in a tiebreaker (7-6(4)) to clinch the match for the Shockers.

Wichita State improves to 12-5 all-time against Mizzou in the win.
 
Up Next: The Shockers return to the Wichita Country Club Sunday, Feb. 25 to take on Colorado at 10 a.m.
 

---

#30 Wichita State 4, #49 Missouri 3

Singles competition
1. #71 Fatima Bizhukova (WICH) def. Serena Nash (MIZZ) 6-3, 6-4
2. #106 Sandra Honigova (WICH) def. Marta Oliveira (MIZZ) 6-1, 6-1
3. Ellie Wright (MIZZ) def. Giulia Guidetti (WICH) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
4. M. Middlebrooks (MIZZ) def. Gabriela Porubin (WICH) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
5. Marta Bellucco (WICH) def. Clare Raley (MIZZ) 6-7 (6-8), 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
6. Amina Ismail (MIZZ) def. Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva (WICH) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Marta Bellucco/Fatima Bizhukova (WICH) def. Serena Nash/Clare Raley (MIZZ) 7-5
2. Giulia Guidetti/Ting-Ya Hsu (WICH) def. Taylor Gruber/Amina Ismail (MIZZ) 6-4
3. M. Middlebrooks/Ellie Wright (MIZZ) def. Sandra Honigova/Gabriela Porubin (WICH) 6-3

Match Notes:
Wichita State 9-3; National ranking #30
Missouri 10-2; National ranking #49
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (2,1,3,4,6,5)